Great Sage is a vegetarian restaurant in Clarksville, MD. I am not a vegetarian, but I  like the idea of having at least one vegetarian meal a day. It's both healthy and economical.

I was excited to give it a try after checking out the menu online. I haven't been to very many all-vegetarian restaurants, and wanted to find out whether I would miss the meat. The short answer? Not at all!

Decor/Atmosphere: 4 and a half stars
Tastefully decorated and romantic. It was a Friday night, and therefore busy, but we were still able to have a quiet conversation at our table. The atmosphere was cozy and fun. It is not a large restaurant, yet it was spacious enough to not feel cramped at all. There was a good-size bar with what looked like a sizable wine selection (although only two beers on tap). It's the kind of place where I'd feel perfectly content to hang out for a while.

Service: 4 stars
I was a little bit leery of the service here, having read some negative reviews on Chowhound from a few years ago. Things seem to have improved immensely, at least during our visit. Our server, Leah, was sweet, knowledgeable and helpful. The food didn't come to our table at lightning-fast speed, but we received it in a reasonable amount of time.

Food: 3 and a half stars
The menu was intriguing; there were many things I wanted to try. I settled on the southwest burger. It was a black bean and corn patty on a wheat bun, served with tortilla chips, fresh salsa and cole slaw. The patty was a bit dry and fell apart easily, but came topped with guacamole, which helped with the dryness factor. There was also a side of slightly spicy chipotle aioli, which was delicious. My husband — adamantly NOT a vegetarian — had one of the nightly specials: a stir fry of buckwheat noodles  with vegetables and enjoyed the meal very much. Dessert was also one of the specials: layers of cheesecake and devil's food cake. It was just OK. I probably should have skipped it to save calories. However, I hear that the Hot Fudge Lava Cake A la Mode is to die for.

I am certainly looking forward to going back. There are many things on the menu I would like to try, including Indian Vegetable Cakes, Panang Spiced Coconut Curry, Great Sage Chili and Brown Rice, and their homemade soups, which change daily.  And if you enjoy liquid concoctions, there are some interesting smoothies, floats and shakes on the menu as well.

One final note: If you are looking for a place to take your sweetie for Valentine's Day, Great Sage will be serving a pre-fix five-course vegan dinner. Cost is $40 per person. Reservations are being accepted now.